Saturday, December 31, 2016

Yep. 2016 was a disappointment and true disgrace in so, so many ways.
Humankind took some pretty big steps backward in 2016 so let us hope it begins to move forward once again. But even better, let us not simply hope for the best, but work for the best. Let us actively support the values of fairness and human decency to counteract this current dark tone sweeping not only the United States but much of the rest of the world. Live your life by the principals of humanism. Let us strive to give the darkenss a reason to retreat in 2017.

Friday, December 30, 2016

This video for Katie Melua's "Perfect World" touched me deeply. It reminds me of the true, unconditional love I felt from my mom, and the state of innocence of childhood. She has been gone for 14 years now and I miss her still, every single day.

You're preciousI can't stand seeing you cryIt hurtsWatching you get what you don't deserveI tell myselfYou don't belong in this rough lifeYou should have a perfect worldYou should have a perfect worldYou're too gentleAnd much too quick to forgiveEvery slightAnd blow you've ever been dealtWell who knowsIf the world will ever deserve youYou should have a perfect worldYou should have a perfect worldAnd who knowsIf the world will ever deserve youYou should have a perfect worldYou should have a perfect world

Thursday, December 29, 2016

Swedish street art group Anonymouse have just made their first installation of stores for mice...a little nut store called Noix de Vie and a sweet little cheese shop called Il Topolino. The anonymous members of this art group (or member, singular, since no one knows exactly who is behind this) told metro.co.uk, "For us the main point with the little scenes are to spread a bit of joy, so the question of our identities seems quite irrelevant. The scene is there for its own sake so shifting focus to us just seems unnecessary."

All the objects are made from human detritus like bottle caps and match sticks. I love how the nuts in the window have little country-of-origin flags, and that the store fronts light up at night. And I especially love that the Anonymouse logo is a combination of the Guy Fawkes mask used by international hacker group Anonymous and Mickey Mouse ears!

On their Instagram account, Anonymouse have announced that there will be a new vignette, for mice, in 2017...

Wednesday, December 28, 2016

I am pretty overwhelmed by this lovely song, "Breathing Underwater" by Emeli Sandé. The music is wonderful, her voice is exquisite, and what she is singing is beautifully mystical.

When I first heard this song, the words resonated with me. It feels obliquely profound, like they describe a dream, some kind of transcendent event, a peak experience. It speaks to me of a state of freedom that I imagine exists outside of our bodies, outside of time. But when I saw the video, I was quite taken aback by the very unexpected literalness of the flying motif. I have spent my nightly dream life flying, and the idea of having the power to fly is very important to my own personal mythology. So when I saw these dancers start to float up in the air, I was moved to tears...because of the freedom, because I know--I know in my heart and in my soul and in my skin what it feels like to fly... and because I can't do it in this physical plane.

I believe in miraclesCause it's a miracle I'm hereGuess you could call me spiritualCause physical is fearAnd it's safe to say the storm's gone awayAnd I’m dancing on the morning afterYes I'd love to stay, but my home's the other wayAnd I miss the love and laughterSomething like flyingHard to describe itMy God, I'm breathing underwaterSomething like freedom, freedomMy God, I'm breathing underwaterEvery moon and every starKnows who you are, you knowSo ever if it gets too darkYou never are aloneAnd it's safe to say you surrender your daysTo pay back all the love you borrowedAnd hopes are high you survived yesterdayAnd today is jealous of tomorrowSomething like flyingHard to describe itMy God, I'm breathing underwaterSomething like freedom, freedomMy God, I'm breathing underwater

Tuesday, December 27, 2016

"The atoms of our bodies are traceable to stars that manufactured them in their cores and exploded these enriched ingredients across our galaxy, billions of years ago. For this reason, we are biologically connected to every other living thing in the world. We are chemically connected to all molecules on Earth. And we are atomically connected to all atoms in the universe. We are not figuratively, but literally stardust."
--Neil deGrasse Tyson

"The nitrogen in our DNA, the calcium in our teeth, the iron in our blood, the carbon in our apple pies were made in the interiors of collapsing stars. We are made of starstuff."
--Carl Sagan

"Everything we are and everything in the universe and on Earth originated from stardust, and it continually floats through us even today. It directly connects us to the universe, rebuilding our bodies over and again over our lifetimes."
--Iris Schrijver, author of LIVING WITH THE STARS: HOW THE HUMAN BODY IS CONNECTED TO THE LIFE CYCLES OF THE EARTH, THE PLANETS, AND THE STARS

"We are stardust/ We are golden/ And we've got to get ourselves/ Back to the garden"
--Joni Mitchell

Monday, December 26, 2016

...and we could use some warming up (it was 34*F here this morning!). Check out these marvelous recipes for delicious variations on hot chocolate! Those who know me will not be surprised to learn that I am very eager to try the Lavender White...as well as the Caramel!

Sunday, December 25, 2016

Such sad news. George Michael has died on Christmas Day at the shockingly young age of 53 (the age of your blogmaster...ahem) and as regular readers of "Oh, By The Way" know, I start each December off with a re-post of his lovely "December Song (I Dreamed Of Christmas)." This year has taken a lot of great talent from us...

George Michael, born Georgios Kyriacos Panayiotou, was a talented vocalist--with a powerful yet smooth voice--and songwriter. His work with Andrew Ridgeley as 1980s pop duo WHAM! started him in the public eye but it was his solo work that solidified his stature. His album "Faith" was a revelation (1987). It was a seamless blend of English pop with synthesizers and American soul. Take a listen to the funky yet dark "Hard Day."

Don't bring me downDon't bring me downDon't bring me downI've never been oneFor playing gamesYou can move your mouth foreverBut the words sound just the sameSomething likeBang bang you're deadCouldn't we just make love insteadSay yes because it's what we do bestAnd I've had such a hard dayTake me where their eyes can't find usWithout you I may as well just...How much - do I have to sayWhat more - do you have to seeWhat will it take to make you love meWell you're not the firstYou're not the lastYou're not even the one who loves me the bestBut all I think about is youSo take me where their eyes can't find usWithout you I may as well just...So take me where their eyes can't find usWithout you I may as well just...Don't bring me downDon't bring me downDon't bring me downPlease don't wander from my doorI've never been oneFor playing gamesYou can move your mouth foreverBut the words sound just the sameBang Bang you're deadShouldn't we just make love insteadSay yes 'cause it's what we do bestAnd I've had such a hard daySo don't bring me downWon't you give me a breakSomebody give me a break now!Don't bring me downDon't bring me downDon't bring me downSweet little boy with oh such a big mouthHarsh words can get you into hot waterWhen people don't understand you babyI'm always here for youAnd IAnd I will never bring you down, down, down my babyTrust meI want you to trust meOh trust me'Cause I won't bring you down(Don't bring me down)I won't bring you downDo you trust meYeah

But his 1990 release "Listen Without Prejudice Vol. 1" took him to another level. The song "Freedom! '90" was ostensibly about his own rise to fame and his unease in that position, but can be read at the same time as a declaration of emancipation for anyone feeling tied to or trapped by something not of their choosing.

I won't let you downI will not give you upGotta have some faith in the soundIt's the one good thing that I've gotI won't let you downSo please don't give me up‘Cause I would really, really love to stick around, oh yeahHeaven knows I was just a young boyDidn't know what I wanted to beI was every little hungry schoolgirl's pride and joyAnd I guess it was enough for meTo win the race? A prettier face!Brand new clothes and a big fat placeOn your rock and roll TVBut today the way I play the game is not the sameNo wayThink I'm gonna get myself happyI think there's something you should knowI think it's time I told you soThere's something deep inside of meThere's someone else I've got to beTake back your picture in a frameTake back your singing in the rainI just hope you understandSometimes the clothes do not make the manAll we have to do nowIs take these lies and make them true somehowAll we have to seeIs that I don't belong to youAnd you don't belong to me yea yeaFreedomFreedomFreedomYou've gotta give for what you takeFreedomFreedomFreedomYou've gotta give for what you takeHeaven knows we sure had some fun boyWhat a kick just a buddy and meWe had every big shot good-time band on the run boyWe were living in a fantasyWe won the raceGot out of the placeI went back home got a brand new faceFor the boys on MTVBut today the way I play the game has got to changeOh yeahNow I'm gonna get myself happyI think there's something you should knowI think it's time I stopped the showThere's something deep inside of meThere's someone I forgot to beTake back your picture in a frameDon't think that I'll be back againI just hope you understandSometimes the clothes do not make the manAll we have to do nowIs take these lies and make them true somehowAll we have to seeIs that I don't belong to youAnd you don't belong to me, yea yeaFreedomFreedomFreedomYou've gotta give for what you takeFreedomFreedomFreedomYou've gotta give for what you takeWell it looks like the road to heavenBut it feels like the road to hellWhen I knew which side my bread was butteredI took the knife as wellPosing for another pictureEverybody's got to sellBut when you shake your assThey notice fastAnd some mistakes were built to lastThat's what you getThat's what you getThat's what you getI say that's what you getThat's what you get for changing your mindThat's what you get for changing your mindThat's what you getThat's what you getAnd after all this timeI just hope you understandSometimes the clothesDo not make the manAll we have to do now is take these liesAnd make them true somehowAll we have to see is that i don't belong to youAnd you don't belong to me yea yeaFreedomFreedomFreedomYou've got to give for what you takeFreedomFreedomFreedomYou've got to give for what you takeYea you've got to give for what you, give for what you giveMay not be what you want from meJust the way it's got to beLose the face nowI've got to live I've got to live

But one of my all-time favorites is his delirious song "Flawless (Go To The City)" from his album "Patience." The music always gets me grooving and his message of hope to those who don't fit in (gay men and women in small towns in particular) is quite uplifting , but I especially love this video that was filmed, amazingly, all in one continuous four-minute take. The concept is actually extremely moving and inspiring, seeing all the people and lives who have moved through a single space. And watching them all in this overlapped sense of time--where all time is simultaneous--suggests ideas of quantum physics and multiple universes. And of course there is a metaphysical aspect in that beautiful, transcendent moment, when, for one instant, all these people who do not know--and never will know--each other, are in sync and connected through space and time by their sense of self, and by their sheer, unstoppable life force. Lovely...

'Cause you're beautiful (Perfection)(Like no other)Flawless, absolutely flawless'Cause you're beautiful (Perfection)(Take me, make me)'Cause you're beautiful (maybe tonight, they'll see you tonight)And it's no good waiting by the windowIt's no good waiting for the sunPlease believe me, the things you dream ofThey don't fall in laps of no-oneAnd it's no good . . . Waiting, waitingAnd it's no good . . . WaitingYou've got to go to the cityAlways the sameAlways the same dreams yeah yeahAlways the same (yes you're movin' up)Well you've got to think of something'Cause your job pays you nothingBut you've got the things God gave youSo the music may yet be your saviourGot to be a way, some wayGot to be some way to make your way to the light (All the girls say)Got to be some way, today, today, maybe tonight, maybe tonightAnd it's always the same . . .Always the same dreams yeah yeahAlways the same (yes you're movin' up)You're beautiful, you are, and you know itYou're wasted here, you're a starIn this small town of hand-me-downs who don't even know itSometimes they’re beating you downSometimes they’re eating you upSometimes you think that your head's going to blowIt doesn't get better . . .Don't you know, you've got to go to the cityYou've got to reach the other side of the glassI think you'll make it in the city babyI think you know that you are more than justA fu**ed up piece of assYou've got to go to the cityYou've got to go to the city,They're going to find you there'Cause you're beautiful'Cause you're beautifulDo you want a saviour, saviourSay that you do,You know you're wasted here, wasted hereAnd there ain't no miracles happening any time soon ...

Saturday, December 24, 2016

I was born in a cloud...Now I am falling.I want you to catch me.Look up and you'll see me.You know you can hear me.The world is so loud. Keep falling. I'll find you.We're over a forest.There's millions of snowflakes.We're dancing.The world is so loud. Keep falling and I'll find you.I am ice and dust. I am sky.

I can hear people.I think you are near me now.The world is so loud. Keep falling. I'll find you.We're over a forest.It's midnight at Christmas.The world is so loud. Keep falling. I'll find you.I think I can see you.There's your long, white neck.The world is so loud. Keep falling. I'll find you.Now I am falling.Look up and you'll see me.The world is so loud. Keep falling. I'll find you.In a moment or two.I'll be with you.The world is so loud. Keep falling. I'll find you.Be ready to catch me.The world is so loud. Keep falling. I'll find you.

About Me

About "Oh, By The Way"

"Oh, By The Way" is my digital scrap book of things I like, things I would share with a close friend and say: “Oh, by the way, do you know of this artist/ clothing or interior designer/ model/ singer/ actor/ gorgeous man… or, have you seen this video/ photo/ film... or heard (or do you remember) this song/ band... or, read this book/ poem/ inspiring quote... or, visited this place/ restaurant/ famous building... or, have you heard of this amazing new scientific discovery?”

I am dedicated to posting the positive, the fascinating, the beautiful, the interesting, the moving, and the inspiring and uplifting. Sometimes I post cultural as well as personal observations, milestones, and remembrances. And just like life, all of these things may often have a bit of melancholy or even sadness in them, which is what makes our time here so lovely and bittersweet and precious.

Some of the photos, art, poetry, and prose are my own original work, credited with my initials, JEF. When it isn't, I always try to post links to the original source material, but often I find photos on the web that are not linked or other material that is not sourced. In these instances, I post them without malice since it is assumed that such things, by being globally posted on something as uncontrollable as the internet to begin with, are in the public domain. If you identify the source of an image that is not linked, please politely let me know (without accusing me of theft) and I will be happy to provide a link.

I hope to inspire and entertain my readers with things that inspire and entertain ME. There is a startling amount of beauty and creativity in the world and it enriches us all to participate in it.

All-time Favorite Films

2001: A Space Odyssey (Kubrick)

After Hours (Hysterical, hair-raising ride through NYC at night)

Amelie

American Beauty (Alan Ball)

Baraka (Stunning, transcending—the "spiritus mundi" on film)

Belle et Bete (Cocteau)

Big Sleep, The (The epitome of film noir)

Bringing Up Baby (Hepburn & Grant—the epitome of screwball comedy)

Cook, The Thief, His Wife, and Her Lover, The (Greenaway)

Crash (Cronenberg—DIFFICULT subject, not for everyone)

Don’t Look Now (Nicolas Roeg—ultimate modern gothic horror)

Drowning By Numbers (Greenaway)

Easy Rider

Edward II (Derek Jarman)

Erendira (From magic realist Marquez’ brilliant short story)

Eyes Wide Shut (Kubrick's last film)

Fearless (Jeff Bridges—life and death)

Funny Bones (Leslie Caron, Jerry Lewis, and the brilliant Lee Evans)

Holiday (Hepburn & Grant)

Howard’s End (The ultimate statement of the unfairness of class systems)